A firm composed of adolph



M. DICKERSON'.

FUR DYEING MACHINE.

umcmou FILED AUG-7- 1911.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

INVENTO/L' WITNESS ma ma.

W 87 Yam +80% Arm/Mrs M. DICKERSON.

FUR DYEING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. 19H.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919 I Era r5 II I lllllll} Illllll If IIVVENTOR,

WI T/VESS.

ISL/ai Anon/In M. DICKERSON.

FUR DYEING MACHINE. APPLICATION mu) AUG-1,1917.

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Tm! coLunnlA PLANMRAI'II M1,. wnsumunm n. c.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM DIGKERSON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO A. HOLLANDER & SON,

OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A FIRM COMP .AN'D ALBERT HOLLAN'DER.

OSED 0F ADOLPH, MICHAEL, BENJAMIN W.,

FUR-DYEING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application filed August 7, 1917. Serial No. 184,803.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM DICKERSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in F ur-Dyeing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

It is common in the fur trade to dye the fur of small skins, such as muskrat and the like, to give it a uniform color and enable the skins when pieced together and otherwise properly manipulated to present the appearance of seal skin. Of course the skins have to be treated several times to cause the dye to strike into the fur and properly color it and it is a very slow and tedious task. Furthermore, the skins themselves are aptto become more or less affected by the dye,

which in order to color the fur has to be of such strength and penetrating quality that it seriously damages the skin. Not only has it been a slow and disagreeable task to dye mall furs in this way, but as stated the process has been attended with a good many difficulties and disadvantages. My invention relates to machines for doing such work, although of course it can be used for larger furs if desired or any kind of furs.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a machine for dyeing the furs of such skins; to enable the fur to be more offectually dyed or colored, and the dye more completely kept away from the skin; to thus obtain a better product in that the skin is unaffected and therefore strong and durable, while the fur is thoroughly and uniformly dyed; to pass the skins rapidly through the machine without dislodgment or entanglement; to secure a close engagement between the drum and skin, so that the latter will be protected from the dye; to provide a plurality of rotary brushes for working the dye into the fur, so arranged and adapted that the dye thrown off by one brush is received by the next succeeding brush; to provide means for receiving from the last brush of the series the surplus dye and returning the same to .the supply tank; to utilize cords for carryreplaced; to properly control and adjust the amount of dye applied to the skin; to obtain simplicity of construction and operation, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front view of my improved machine;

Fig. 2 is an end view looking at the righthand end of the machine as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a view of the end opposite that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section partly broken away of the right-hand end portion of the machine when standing in front of it, taken upon line 6-6 Fig. 5, the drum being shown in central section, and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of one of the rollers showing one form of groove for guiding the cords or belts.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown in said drawings 1, 1 and 2, 2 indicate pairs of posts at the opposite ends of the machine, the posts of each pair being shown connected at their bottoms by a channel iron base 3 and said bases connected longitudinally of the machine, at their middles, by another channel bar 4 preferably in reverse position or with its flanges upward. The posts are further connected about midway of their height by a cast iron pan 5 apertured at its corners to receive said posts and be fixed thereon, and upon this pan are mounted end plates 6, 7 near the end pairs of posts 1, 1 and 2, 2 said plates 6, .7 providing mountings for the various rollers and brushes and the drum hereinafter described and whlch are arranged longitudinally of the machine. It will be understood that the frame of the machine might be of any other suitable construction adapted to the purposes of my invention, the one shown and described for illustrative purposes being the one I have built and found satisfactory in use.

Between said end plates 6, 7 at substantially their middles. extends a drum 8 fast upon a shaft 9 having suitable bearings in such brushes. will be understood so that the brushes can engage the skins or fur thereon; The lower ofjthese brushes,

designated by reference numeral being any desired number of I have shown five, but it that moreor less could be All, the

the fur, there employed as found desirable.

brushes and 11. are mounted upon sha fts 12 for the dye brush and 13 for the other 0 brushes, which shafts all have bearings in the endplates 6, 7, as clearly shown in the drawings and project beyond said plates to receive atone end'ofthe machine driving a means as hereinafter described, and at the" otherjlend to rece ve collars 14 to prevent longitudinal movement. V V

Farther out from the drucn 8 than the v brushes 10 and 11 are rollers 15 having shafts or trunnions 16 whichhave bearings in thesaid endplates 6 and and pro ect therebeyond to receive at one end of the machine driving means hereinafter described and at the other end of the machine collars -17 to prevent longitudinal movement. These rollers and brushes, as well as the drum, are preferably driven as will next be described.

Beneath thepan 5 is a platform 18 made up of longitudinal angle irons 19, 19 and transverse angle irons 20, 20 the former secured to the endposts and the latter extending transversely of the machine. Upon this platform is mount'edfin suitable bearings 21, 21 a driving shaft'22 which extends longitudinally (sue machine, as shown in Figs. 1-4, and receives power at one end of itself by means of a from a motor 25atiany suitablepoint such as upon a top leaf 26' connecting the upper ends of the'p'osts 1,1 atlthat end of the;

machine. At the opposite'end of the machine, the sh'aft 22 carries a sprocket 27,

driving by meansof a chain 28 another sprocket 29 on the end of a counter shaft 30.

shaft is carried in suitable This counter bearings '31, 311011 the platform 18, fpreferably parallel to the main driving shaft 22,

and also has near its end another sprocket 32 driving a sprocket 83bit one of the'roller shafts 16 by means of a chain 34 connecting said sprockets. Said roller'shaft 16, as well. as all of the other roller shafts, have sprockets 35 at this end of the machine. The drum 7 shaft 9 also has a sprocket 36, and'in operative engagement with all of said sprockets 10 is a dye brush or dye applying brush, while the others, marked 11, simply work the dye into.

driving "pulley 23' and {belt 24 l 35, '36 on the rollers and drum extends a sprocket chain 37 for driving the drum and rollers in unison. V

The drive means for the brushes 11; is preferably at the opposite end of the machine from that at which the rollers are driven, the particular means shown compr1s- V ing sprockets 38 upon the ends of the brush shafts 18 outside of the end plate '6, a sprocket chain 39. operating onthe sprockets to. rotate the brushes all in the same direction, although this might be otherwise if One of the brush I shafts 13 islonger than theothers and has, asecond sprocket wheel-40 upon its end found more desirable.

overwhich a sprocket chain 41 runs to a sprocket '42 on the main drive shaft 22;

The dye brush '10, shown as below the,

drum, is preferably driven by separate means from the other brushes so that it may a operate-at a differentspeed therefrom,and I to this end its shaft '12 extends beyond the S1Cl6 plate, hav ngthereata sprocket v43 over which passes a chain 44for driving it from asprocket 45 upon a counter shaft 46, This counter shaft .46 is driven from the main drive, shaft 22 by any suitable means, and, 1'

for illustrative purposes I have shown a belt drive 431, although any other suitable means might be employed.

This dye brush 10 last described, rotates with the bottom part of itself withinj a dye trough 47 so the ends of its bristles will take u a quantity of thedye as the bruShI -I tates. Preferably the dye trough is adjustable so the brush may be causedto dip into it more or less as desired,-and for illustra tive purposes Ihave shown it carried, at both ends by arms .48 which extend forwardly with arod 49 passed through them as a ful crum about which the trough may swing.

The forward ends of these arms are bent downward, as at '50, and are engaged by suitable screws 51 projecting inward from p the front ofthe machine which will swing. the trough up toward the dye brushor: let

it swing down awayfrom it the desired amount. 7 a

Dye is fed to reservoir, such as a: pail 52 upon the, top

the trough; from a suitableleaf of the machine through a tube 53 at one end of the machine. 7 An overflow is also provided for the trough, being shown as a. tube 54 mtroduced at aproperdistance from the bottom of. the trough 's'othat when the dye reaches that elevation in the trough it will go no higher. 7 By. this means the dye is f'edto the dye brushevenly and therefore applied uniformly to, the fur. The over-c.

flow tube 54 extends down through the mid-:

dle of the pan 5 to a bucket or other re-I I ceptacl'e 55 from which it may bepoured back into the reservoir 52 from time to time when needed, or otherwise disposed of. Tn operatiomthe dye brush 10 rotates preferably at a slow speed, and applies dye to the furs which are passed between it and the drum, and also throws off some of its dye onto the adjacent brush 11. Said brushes 11 preferably rotate at a higher rate ofspeed than the dye brush, and dye from the first brush is thrown to the next and so on around the drum to the top brush, it being understood also that said brushes 11 operate in contact with the fur. Opposite the last or upper brush, extending longitudinally thereof, is a flue 56 having a longitudinal slot or opening 57 toward the brush into which the dye from the said last brush may be thrown. By this construction, the flue will catch the excess dye which is carried around the several brushes and thrown off the last one, preventing waste of the dye. One end of said flue is open, and beneath it is a funnel 58 for catching the dye as it flows out of the flue, the dye being carried from the funnel through a tube 59 back to thetrough 47. j

For carrying the furs around the drum between it and the brushes, cords .or other continuous belts 60 are provided which extend around the outsides of the several rollers 15, inwardly between two of the rollers at the front of the machine and around the drum 8, following the same course or direction as the sprocket chain 37 hereinbefore described, so that driving the chain will cause the cords to. travel around in the same manner or in unison with it. Preferably as shown, these cords extend inwardly from two front rollers to the drum and around the back of the same, and from the said rollers the cords extend up and down respectively to other rollers above and 'below the drum and thence to another roller at the back of the machine, said rollers holding the cords away from the brushes. Preferably the cords at their parts passing inwardly from the lower front roller to the drum move in a direction toward the drum, and the skins are laid upon these part of the cords by the operator so they will be'carried inwardly to the drum. It is to be understood that a plurality of cords are employed, and for keeping them spaced apart-in substantially parallel planes, the several rollers are preferably provided with circumferential grooves 61 in which the cords will seat and by means of which they will be guided. These grooves may be of any desired shape; somewhat rounded as shown in Fig. 6, or may taper from a ridge between two grooves 'to the bottomsof the grooves, as shown at 61 in Fig. 7. The cords or continuous belts 60 hold the skins close to the drum so that as they pass around the same the brushes may operate upon the fur without coming in contact with the skin itself, thus applying the dye to the fur without any injury to-theskin.

In order to remove any skins adhering to the drum and prevent them from passing around through the machine a second time, as well as to discharge them upwardly over the top of the machine and at its back, an auxiliary series of cords 62 between the above described cords 60 are provided which pass around the drum 8 and over an auxiliary idle roller 63 at the front of the machine between the two front rollers for said other cords. This idle roller 63 is prefer ably so arranged that the upper reaches of the auxiliary cords 62 extending to it from the drum are in engagement, or substantial engagement, with the upper one of the said main rollers at the front of the machine. The skins in coming out from between the brushes and drum are included between the two sets of cords 60 and 62 and as they are wet with the dye when they are brought forwardly to the said front roller, they tend to adhere thereto, particularly as they have not been disturbed in their relation to the main holding'cords 60 which pass up over said front roller. In practice it is found that the adhesion is sufficient to cause the skins to pass up around said roller and discharge at the back of the machine where a helper can take them off and stack them for further operation in the dyeing process.

For preventing the skins from slipping around under the action of the brushes, the drum 8 is preferably provided with a roughened surface, which may be made in any one of a number of different ways, although I have found that a cylindrical sheet of rubber 64 having its outer side corrugated, or ribbed longitudinally of (the drum operates very well, but other means may be employed for obtaining the frictional contact between the drum and skins if desired.

Obviously detail modifications and changes may be made in manufacturing my improved ,fur dyeing machine without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be understood as limitin myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is.

1. In dyeing apparatus, the combination with a supporting surface and means for passing a skin over said surface with the fur outward, of a dye brush adjacent said surface for applying dye to the fur, and a rubbing-in brush also adjacent said surface and adjacent the dye brush with nothingintervening in the path of the dye thrown from it to the rubbing-in brush.

2. In dyeing apparatus, the combination with a supporting surface and means for passing a skin over said surface with the fur outward, of a dye brush spaced from said surface so as to engage said furw-ithout engaging the'body of the skin, and a rubbing-in brushspaced from the said surface no less distance than the dye brush, said rubbing in brush being nextthe dye brush or with nothing between them to obstruct the throwing of dye from the dye brush to the rubbing-in brush.

f 3. In dyeingapparatus the combination.

with a supporting surface and means for passing a skin over said surface wlth the fur exposed, of a dye brush ad acent said sur-.

face for applying dye to the fur, and a series the dye brush whereby dye thrown from one brush is caughtby theneXt and so onto the of rubbing-in brushes adjacent said dye brush with nothing between any two of all said brushes in the path of dye thrown from I 5. In dyeing apparatus the combination I with a supporting surface upon which skins may be held with the furoutward, of a series of brushesadjacent said surface and each succeeding one next its predecessor and adapted to receive dye thrown therefrom,

and means forsupplying dye to the fir t brush of said series,

6. In dy'e1 "g. apparatus the combination with a supporting surface upon which skins maybeheld with'the fur outward, of a. series of adjacent brushes the first of which is adapted to throw dye to the next and so onto the'end of'the. series, means for supplying dye tothe first brush of the-series,

and means adjacent the last brush for catching dye thrown off from it. i

7 In dyeingapp'aratus, a supporting sur face for furs, a dye brush adjacent said surface, alplurality of other brushes adjacent each other and said surface and one adjacent last brush, and means 'adjacentthe" side of V caught by} the next and so on brush, and means for catching thedye from 7 other brushes adjacent each other and the h the last brush opposite from the preceding I brushes for catching theldye from it. I

8. In dyeing apparatus, a supporting surface for furs, a dye trough, a dye'brush" adjacent saidsurface with a portion of itself 'dippingin said trough, a plurality of.

other brushes adj ac'ent'each other and, said surface and one adjacent the dye brush whereby dye thrown :frbm one brush is to the last thelast brush.

9 In dyeing I apparatus,"a drum, a dye brush adjacent said drum, a plurality of drum and one adj acentthe dye brush whereby dye thrown from one brush is caught by said brush. I I I I I 12. In dyeing apparatus, a supportingsurface for furs, a brush adjacent said surthe next and soon to the last brush, and a flue for catching the dye from the last brush,

10. In dyeing apparatus, a drum, a dye trough, a dye brush adjacent said drum with a portion ofitself dipping insaid trough, a

plurality of other brushes adjacent each other and the drum and one ad acent the dye brush whereby dye thrown from one brush is caught by the next and' so on to the last brush, and means 'forcatching the dye from the last brush. I I

11. In dyeing apparatus,

and a flue for catching dye thrownofi' from face, means for supplying dye to said brush,

and a flue adjacent said brush; extending a supporting I surface for furs, a brush adjacent said sur face, means forsupplyingdye to said brush, 7

longitudinally thereof for catching dye.

thrown off from thebrush.

13. In dyeing apparatus, a supporting'sun V means for supplyingidye' to said. brush, and

. face for furs,a brush adjacentsaidsurfac'e, :1

a flue adjacent said brush having aslotfex-j J I tending longitudinally of the brush adj acentthe same for catchingdyeathrown off from the brushf v 14. In. dyeingapparatus, a supporting sur;

means for supplying dye to said brush, and

I 95. face for furs, a brush ad acentsaid-surface, I

a flue adjacent said brush for catching dye thrown off from the brush, and means for receiving the dye from said flue. I

'15. In dyeing apparatus,a supporting surface for furs, a brush adjacent said surface,

means for supplying dye to said brush, a flue adjacent said brush for catching dye thrown therefrom, and means for receiving the dye supply meansi from said flue and conducting it back to said I 16. In dyeing apparatus, a supportingsur-f, I

face for furs, a brush'adjacent'said surface,

a trough for supplying dye to said;brush,; means for catching the dyethrown from said brush, and means for returningfthe. dye 1 which is unused and caught back-to said trough. l I H 17 In dyeingapparatus,a supportingsura trough forsu'pplyingdyeto said brush, a I

.fiue for catching the surplus .dye fromthe brush, and means for returning. the dye from the flue back to said trough. I 1 s 18. In dyeing apparatus, a supportingsurface for furs, a brush adjacent'said surface,

brush, said flue having an open end, and means at said open end of the flue for re? a trough for supplyingdye to said brush, flue for catchingthe surplus dye fromtheceiving and returning-the dye back to. said 5' trough. I I V 19. In dyeing apparatus, asupporting sur face for furs, adye trough, a dye brush ad-;

face for jfurs,abrushadjacent said surface,"

jacent said supportin surface with a portion of itself dipping 1n said trough, a plurality of other brushes adjacent each other and said surface and one adjacent the dye brush whereby dye thrown from one brush is caught by the next and so on to the last brush, and means for catching the dye from the last brush and returning it to the dye trough.

20. In dyeing apparatus, the combination with a supporting surface and means for passing a skin over said surface, of a dye brush adjacent said surface in such position as to engage said fur without engaging the body of the skin, and a dye trough adjustable toward and away from the dye brush whereby more 01' less dye may be applied to said brush.

21. In dyeing apparatus, the combination with a supporting surface and means for passing a skin over said surface, of a dye brush adjacent said surface in such position as to engage said fur without engaging the body of the skin, a dye. trough having-arms for pivotally supportlng the trough to swing toward and away from said dye brush, and means for adjustably swinging said trough whereby the dye brush will dip into it more or less as desired.

22. In dyeing apparatus, a drum, a plurality of rollers, cords passing over said rollers and spaced thereby from the drum, said cords extending inwardly from two front rollers to the drum and around said drum whereby skins or furs will be carried by the cords and drum around the drum, and other cords also passing around the drum and engaging one of said front rollers whereby the skins will be removed from the drum and carried forward to said roller.

23. In dyeing apparatus, the combination with a drum, brushes adjacent said drum,

rollers around said drum outside of said brushes, means at one end of the machine for driving said brushes, and means at the opposite end of the machine for driving the rollers.

24. In dyeing apparatus, the combination of a pan, end plates carried by said pan and projecting upwardly therefrom, a drum carried by said end plates, rollers around said drum, and cords extending around the drum and rollers for carrying skins or the-like around the drum.

25. In dyeing apparatus, the combination of a pan, end plates carried by said pan and projecting upwardly therefrom, a drum carried by said end plates, brushes around said drum, rollers also around said drum outside of the brushes, and cords extending around the drum for carrying skins or the like therearound and extending around the rollers out of contact from the brushes.

26. In dyeing apparatus, a drum having a roughened outer surface adapted to frictionally engage skins or the like, and circumferential cords for pressing the skins toward the drum for causlng them to pass around the drum as said drum is rotated.

27. In dyeing apparatus, the combination with a supporting surface upon which skins may be held, of a series of brushes adjacent said surface in such position as to engage said skins, and means for holding each skin against said surface until said skin has completely passed the last brush.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MALCOLM DICKERSON.

Witnesses:

HOWARD P. KING, MILDRED E. BROOKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner or Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

